Car-dumping apparatus.



PATENTBD Novum; 1904'.

N0 MODE H. H. BIGHOUSE. GAR DUMPING APPARATUS.

APFLIOATION FILED HOV. 30. 1397.

PATBNTED 100V. 2,0; 1904.

H. BIGHOUSB.

GAR DUMPING APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 30, 1897.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2` No MODEL.

wwwa/ooe No. 776,009. Patented November 29, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. BIGHOUSE, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR '.lO THE J'lilFiilxflCYMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A COhPORA'iION OF OHIO.

CAR-DUNIPING APPARATUS..

SPECXFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. "776,009, datedNovember 29, 1904. Application filed November S0, 1897. Serial No.660,279. (No model.)

T @U IN1/(fm1 Wfl/U wwYW/f is, as aforesaid, at the front end of thetilting 50 Be it known that l, HENRY H. Bleironsn, a track, I meaningthereby that it is at a line citizen of the UnitedStates, residing'atColumin front of the center of gravity of the total bus, in the countyof Franklin and State of load upon the hinge. This arrangement is Ohio,have invented certain new and useful employed for important reasons tobe pre- Improvements in Car-Dumping Apparatus; sented below. ln frontofthe tilting section 5 5 and Ido declare thefollowingto beafull,clear, Ais the section A2, which receives the cars and exact description of theinvention, such as from the tilting section A after they have been willenable others skilled in the art to which it emptied. For some purposesit may be staro appertains to make and use the same, refertionaryrelatively to the part A; but I prefer cneebeing had to theaccompanyingdrawings, to connect the two sections together pivotand to the lettersof reference marked thereally, by hinge-bolts, at a. The track-secon,which form a part of this sijieciiication.y tion A2 is also pivoted atits front end, and

Figure l is a side elevation of part of an apthe slight amount ofvertical play of this track- 15 paratus having my improvements. Fig. 2is section is provided by hinging the front and a top view. Fig. 3 showspart of the eylinthe rear, 65 der and valve-chest. Fig. t is a sectionofthe While the car is upon the tilting track-secsame partsslightlymodilied. Fig. 5 shows tion A, at least until afterithas beenemptied, the engine-shield. Figs. 6 and 7 are views of it is held bymeans of a movable stop. This zo a tilting rail. Fig.Y 8 is a plan ofone of the preferably consists of one or more horns or car-stops. Fig. 9shows the separable parts upwardly-extending curved projections C C, 70of the stop-operating mechanism. Fig. l0 is adapted to lie in front ofand engagey with the a side elevation, conventionalized, ol a trackfront wheel or wheels of the car. The tilting system. F ll is a top viewof the same. track-section has the rails a' a. These are 2 5 The trackover which the cars travel is made placed upon and fastened tobearing-pieces a2,

up of several sections, one indicated by A, anwhich are mounted on theaforesaid hinge B. other by A/, and a third by A. rlhe section At theirrear ends the rails are secured to a A is stationary, it, in fact,constituting merely cross-plate l.) or equivalent framework, which theterminal part of a more or less prolonged joins and holds them rigidlytogether. 3o railway. E is a brace-bar extending from the lower Thepresent invention pertains more parside of the bearing-blockst2 backwardand ex- SO ticularly to the apparatus for unloading coaltending to thecross plate or frame i). mine cars as they are brought out from the Thestops C are formed with or secured to mine to the tipple for screeningand storing plate portions C, lying horizontally, iitting 3 5 orreloading in larger cars, and therefore the and movable in the spacebetween the bars E track-section A may be regarded as part of and thebottom of the rails a'. rl`hey are held 85 the ordinary mine-track. That at A is a tiltby vertical pivots at c and are rigid with 1eingtrack-section, it having a hinge B secured ver-arms C. At their innerends these leverto the main framework. This hinge, unlike arms areconnected by links F to a slide-plate 4o those heretofore commonly usedfor support- Cr, held in any suitable manner, as by a guide ing thetilting track-sections of mine-ear- H, secured to the cross-plate D. Ifthe slide dumping mechanism, is situated at the front Cr be pushedforward, it will in turn throw the end of the section A. Heretofore thehinge links F, push forward on lever-arms C, and has been located onsuch line remote from the throw outward the stops CC; but the stops are45 front end that it would lie in the rear of the normally held inwardin position to engage center of gravity of the track-section and thewith the wheels of a car by a spring or equivloaded car thereon, andconsequently the ear aient I, which is connected by links vf to thecould be dumped by the action of gravity; plates C', and this springconsequently also but in the present construction this hinge-line holdsthe slide-plate Cr in its rear normal position, which position is nearthe transverseline of the rear ends of the tilting track-rails. Thedescribed parts C', C2, F, and G constitute the one part or element ofatwo-part operating mechanism for the stop, which part, as will be seen,is connected to the tilting track-section. These in turn are operated bythe other element of said two-part mechanism, this second element orpart consisting mainly of a tripper J and means for connecting itdetachably with the first element or part. The tripper J is preferablyof the nature of a lever. It is shown as pivoted at j and as havingconnected to it a push-rod K, adapted to detachably engage with theslide-plate G. The pivot j', and consequently the tripper J aresupported stationarily relatively to the tilting track-section. Thetripner is held in its normal position by mechanism independent of thespring I, that holds the stops C. This mechanism consists of a weight L,attached to an arm Z, connected to the tripper.

At M there is an adjusting-screw or other suitable adjusting device forsetting and holding the tripper at the proper' point.

When the mechanism is in use, a train of loaded cars is behind thetripper J, each ready to be in turn moved forward to the tiltingtrack-section and there emptied. As soon as one is emptied the nextloaded one is pushed forward. It instantly strikes the tripper J, pushesit forward, and through that pushes the push-rod K, the slide G, thelinks F, and the levers C2 and opens the stops C, and as this loaded cartends to move forward toward and upon the tilting section it strikes andadvances the previously-emptied car. Just as the rear end of the loadedcar passes over the tripper the weight L draws backward the latter andthe push-rod K, and then the spring I is free to instantly close thestops C to catch and stop the loaded car, although thepreviously-emptied one has had time to escape and advance onto thereceiving track-section A2.

An examination of the drawings in connection with the above descriptionwill disclose a number of peculiarities incident to the construction andarrangement of parts above referred to. First, it will be seen that Ihinge the tilting track-section in the manner above described at a linerelatively near the receiving track-section A2. Secondly, it will beseen that the tilting track-section is relatively very short, muchshorter than has been heretofore customary, the rear ends of the rails cextending but a short distance behind the rear wheels of the car. Third,it will be seen that the next loaded car is ready to trip the stopsbefore it reaches the tilting track-section, the stop-operatingmechanism being, as aforesaid, in two parts detachably connected.Fourth, I dispense entirely with the complicated and cumbersomemechanism heretofore used for controlling the movements of the tiltingtrack and dumping-car, such as long curved friction-bars, together withfrictionshoes, levers, links, &c., to operate the same. Fifth, I obviatethe necessity of dropping the hinged end of the receiving track-sectionA2 and the tilting track-section A through the several feet that must betraveled by these ends in the earlier constructions. The presentarrangement only necessitates the movement of a very few inches of thereceiving track-section A2. By dispensing with friction controllingdevices heretofore in use I am enabled to shorten the tiltingtrack-section in the way described. Considerable length was required forthis section when such controlling means were employed, as it wasnecessary to assist them with as long a leverage as possible to attain asatisfactory holding and controlling of the car. After doing away withthem the tilting part can be shortened, as aforesaid, and as aconsequence of this the forward car of a train of loaded ones can bebrought close up to the position of dumping, so that at the instantafter the emptying of one car has occurred the next loaded one is soclose that it can be advanced to the dumping position without the lossof time; but in the earlier constructions a period of time, which wasnot only appreciable, but was a cause of great loss, elapsed with theadvance of each loaded car. This will be understood when it isremembered that at some mines several thousand cars a day must bedumped.

Immediately after a car is emptied it is advanced to the track A2, thepresent arrangement of devices not requiring that it should be carriedbackward at all, and in this respect the apparatus is distinguished fromthose heretofore in use, in which after the car was tilted it had to becarried backward for a considerable distance over the same track uponwhich it was brought forward.

At A3 there is a supplemental track provided with a switch by which thecar is so guided that it can return over a track A* independent of theparts above described and by which it can be taken to a place forreloadlng.

Having placed the hinge at the front end of the tilting track-sectionand near the receiving-section A2, I dispense with the long drop of thefront end of the car and on the contrary depend upon elevating the rearend for the purpose of dumping the contents. This elevating I accomplishby a positivelyacting power mechanism, and by preference the latterconsists, essentially, of a cylinder containing a piston adapted toreceive steam or an equivalent agent, the piston being connected withthe tilting' track by a suitable mechanism for transmitting power. I amaware that cylinders for the purpose of elevating a car platform ortrack have been used; but l believe myself to be the lirst to haveemployed a cylinder which could be firmly TOO IIO

and rigidly fastened in place and to have connected its piston by asingle rod to the tilting track. To suitably arrange these elements, Iprefer to have the upper end of the cylinder more or less ope-n, atleast not steamtight, and to connect the car-track andthe piston bymeans of a vibrating rod extending directly from one to the other. YThis avoids the necessity of guides and also obviates the hinging of thecylinder either at one end or upon trunnions intermediate of its ends.By employing a rigidlyanounted cylinder and a single piston-rod or apower-rod I not only simplify the apparatus, but make it very compact,as the cylinder can be placed at a point very near to the track-sectionand the power applied thereto immediately.

In the drawings the cylinder is indicated by N. Preferably I arrange itdirectly below the tilting track A. vWithin it there is fitted thecupshapedpiston O. This piston is connected to the track by the rod T,pivotcd directly to the piston and also joined by a hinge at t to asuitable part of the track-section, such as the plate D. The rod Tvibrates somewhat, andv to permit this the upper end of the cylinder isleft more or less open. This end can be closed by a slide-plate or othersuitable device. To prevent the entrance of coal or other foreignmaterial to the interior of the cylinder, l. provide the latter with ashield or guard Q. This may be of several forms. That shown consists ofa hollow shell having plates r1 (I at an angle to each other to readilythrow the material toward one side or the other from the cylinder andend plates q. The latter are pivotally connected to the cylinder at q2.This permits a relative movement between the cylinder and the piston-rodT. The operator standing` on any suitable plane or platform adjacent tothe tilting track-sec tion is able to control the action of the pistonby means of lthe lever R, which is connected to the valve-stern S, thatpasses through a gland into the valvechamber V. U is the Valve. Thecylinder has two ports extending to or from its interior chamber,as atan. These are so arranged that that at n can be used as an inlet-port.n? is the exhaust-port. The valve U has a port a. In operation theoperator first draws the valve U up far enough to permit steam to passthrough the port a into the cylinder-cham ber below the piston.Thereupon the piston moves upward and through the rodTraises the rearend of thctrackA and the car. After the caris emptied the operator by anopposite movement of the lever pushes down the valve U, bringing theport a into such a position as to connect the ports /n/ n, which permitssteam to exhaust from below the piston, and the latter' moves down untilit passes the bottom of port a'. From below that line it is cushioned bythe steam still remaining' in the cylinder-chamber. Such cushioning canbe maintained normally, if desired; but if the operator desires toentirely exhaust the cylinder-chamber he pushes the valve farther downuntil the valve-port a connects the cylinder-ports yny ai, which allowsthe steam from the lower end of the cylinder to entirely exhaust. Thushe provides for a positive cushioning of the piston when he desires orfor an entire and complete exhaust, if necessary; but the valve andother parts can be so arranged as to positively insure that the pistonshall always be cushioned, which can be done by making them as shown inFig. 4l, in which case thc valve is arrested by a suitable stop, such asthe lower end of the valve-casing, before moving down so far as toconnect the valveport u with the cyliiulerqjiort yn..

/Vith this simple power device the operator is enabled to delicately andcompletely control the movements of the track-section and of the carthereon, and I dispense entirely with the friction mechanism that hasbeen heretofore necessitated in order to provide such -control. Aconstruction of the character of that herein is superior to those inwhich the parts are so made and related as to have the axis of the frontear-wheelsv serve as the axis of oscillation around which the car istilted. For instance, if the car itself be lifted up at its rear endaway from the track-railsand caused to tilt around the :front axle it isnecessary to build the hoppers, the chutes, dce., up to a higher plane,and there is necessitated a correspondingincrease in height along' theentire trestle-work and platform. This enlarges the expense of theapparatus very considerably, because of the relatively high position ofthe axis of tilting. ln the present construction this axis is brought toor below the top line of the tracks, and consequently there can beconsiderable saving in material and Aexpense in the construction of thetrestlework, the frames, the platform, the hopper, and other parts.

ln the present case the elevating of the car is effected not by liftingit directly, but by A carrying it up on the traclmails, and the latterare made to swing or tilt, as well as the car, and consequently the axisof swinging can be relatively lowered. Again, l obviate the liability ofany blows to the car-axle or the car-body, and when compared with thegravity-dump tipples that have been heretofore used there is a markedadvantage incident to one of this character, growingout of the fact thatthe operator has complete control of the car at all points of its travelwhile tilting'. When a gravity-dump is in use the load escapes veryrapidly from the carto the chutes and screens below, generally leaving'it in a unitary mass. The discharge is not distributed uniformly overthe entire period of each (lischarge interval, and consequently thelarger blocks or lumps of coal, the intermediate-sized particles, andthe slack are apt to pass downward in a mingled mass, and it ICO is notpossible to effect a perfect separation of the finer from the coarser;but with a mechanism like mine it is possible for the operator to allowthe discharge to commence gradually and after the bulk of the load hasescaped to allow the remainder to follow gradually and yet not consumeany more time for each interval of unloading. This is due to having apower mechanism (supplemental to the action of gravity) for lifting thetrack on which the wheels rest, and in this respect there can benumerous modifications, for while I have above described a steam orequivalent engine for applying such power, yet it will be understoodthat the essential features of the invention can be maintained if otherpower devices be substituted, so long as the receiving-track is in frontof the tilting track and the other requisite devices are retained.

It will be understood that where details of construction are not shownuse may be made of any of those well known to engineers. The cars may beprovided with swinging' doors or end-gates, and automatically-actingdoor-opening devices of any of the well-known forms can be combined withthe mechanism illustrated and described. Again, while I prefer to havethe tripping mechanism, as at J, situated on the stationary track andthe stops, as at C, connected to the tilting track it will be seen thathere also there can be modification and that the stops C and tripper Jcan be permanently connected by a train of united devices instead ofhaving the trip mechanism in two elements in the way illustrated.

When an engine of the character shown is used, the operator can controlthe valve by any suitable device-as, for instance, by a rod or lever,such as indicated at W.

What I claim isl. In a car-dumping apparatus, the combination of astationary track-section for delivering loaded cars, a secondtrack-section of substantially the length of a car for temporarilyholding each car while dumping, a fixed hinge for the secondtrack-section, power devices in the rear of the said hinge forpositively lifting said second track-section and the car to empty it,and a third track-section hinged to the front end of the secondtracksection to receive the emptied cars successively therefrom,substantially as set forth.

2. In a car-dumping apparatus, the combination of a main support, atrack section hinged at its front end to the said support, a powermechanism for positively moving the said track-section around saidhinge, a movable stop adapted to engage with and hold a car upon saidhinged track-section. mounted on a vertical pivot and having alaterally-extending arm C2, tripping mechanism for said stop, connectedwith said arm and a tracksection in front of the aforesaid section toreceive therefrom the emptied cars, substantially as set forth.

3. In a car-dumping apparatus, the combination of a tiltingtrack-section, a hinge therefor at its front end, a removable stopdevice for temporarily holding acar thereon, apower mechanism forpositively lifting the rear end of said track-section, and atrack-section in front of the aforesaid section, and connected theretoby a hinge, adjacent to the aforesaid hinge, substantially as set forth.

il. The combination in a car-dumping apparatus of atilting'track-section, a movable stop for temporarily holding' a car thereon, ahinge at the front end of the said track-section, a track-section infront thereof for receiving the emptied cars, a power mechanism forpositively elevating' the tilting track-section, a stationarytrack-section for holding loaded cars, operating mechanism for removingthe said stop, and a trip for the stop-operating mechanism located inthe rear of the front end of the stationary track-section, substantiallyas set forth.

5. In a car-dumping apparatus a stationary track-section in combinationwith a tilting track-section, a car-receiving section in front of thetilting section, a movable stop for holding the car on the tiltingtrack-section, and a two-part operating mechanism for movingthe saidstop, one part being' connected to the tilting track-section, and theother part separable therefrom and connected with the stationary tracksection, substantially as set forth.

6. In a car-dumping apparatus, the combination of a tiltingtrack-section, a movable stop for holding a car on said section,operating mechanism for moving the stop away from the car, and swingingwith the tilting track-section, and the tripper for said operatingmechanism supported stationarily relatively to the moving section,substantially as set forth.

7. In a car-dumping apparatus, the combination of the tiltingtrack-section, the movable stop, means for holding the movable stop inposition to engage the car, a tripper for the said stop, and meansindependent of the aforesaid parts for holding the tripper in normalposition, substantially as set forth.

8. In a car-dumping' apparatus, the combination of a tiltingtrack-section, the movable stop for the car, means for holding' the stopin normal position, and a two-part operating mechanism for said stop,the first part connected with the tilting' track-section, and the secondbeing relatively stationary and detach- IOO IIO

able from the first part, substantially as set 'Waooe pendent of saidl'irst part for holding the second part in normal position,substantially as set forth.

10. In a ear-d urnping apparatus, the combination of the tiltingtrack-section, the movable stop for the car, the two-part operating'meehanisrn for said stop, the first part being' connected to thetilting' track-section, and having' the spring I, and the second partbeing' detachable from the lirst part and consisting of a trip-lever, asJ, and a weight for holding' the trip in normal position, substantiallyset forth. l

11. In a ear-dumping apparatus, the combination of the tiltingtrack-section, the hinge at the front end thereof, the cylinder forsteam or equivalent, the piston therein, means for connecting' thepiston with the tilting trackseetion :for elevating it, two outlet-portsfrein the cylinder-chamber, an exhaust-port, and a valve adapted toalternately connect said outlet-ports with the exhaust-port,substantiallyT as set forth.

12. In a car-dumping' apparatus, the combination ofthe tiltingtrack-section, the cylinder for steam or equivalent, the piston therein,means connecting the piston with the tracksection, a steam-inlet port tothe cylindercharnber, an outlet-port from the cylinder'- eharnber, anexhaust-port, and nneans for connecting the exhaust-port with saidoutlet-port and then with said inlet-port, substantially as set forth.

13. In a car-dumping' apparatus, the combination with the tiltingtrack-section, of the cylinder, the piston, means connecting the pistonwith the track-section, an inlet-port to the cylinder-chamber, anoutlet-port from the cylinder-chamber, an exhaustport, and a valveadapted to lirst connect said outlet-port with the exhaust-port and thenConnect the inlet-port with the exhaust-port, substantially as setforth.

14. In a car-dumping apparatus, the combination of the vtiltingltrack-section, the cylinder for steann or equivalent, the pistontherein, the piston-rod, and the shield for the cylinder movablerelatively thereto, substantially as set forth.

15. In a car-d urn ping apparatus, the com bination of thetiltingtrack-section, the cylinder, the piston therein, the vibratingpistonrool, and the vibrating shield for the cylinder, substantially asset forth.

16. The combination with the tilting' trackseetion, of stops thereon:for the car, a Inov- Vable part or trip held in supports stationaryrelative to the tilting' section, and a movable part on thetiltingseetion connected with and adapted to operate said stops arrangedto come into line with and be operated by said trip when the section isnot tilted and separable therefrom when tilting.

17. Ina ear-dumping' apparatus, the eornbination with the car, thetrack-section at the point of tilting, the cylinder, the piston thereinand the piston-rod adapted to tilt the car, of the shield for thecylinder, adapted to proteet it from'dust and dirt, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY I1. BIGHOUSE.

Witnesses:

F. E. CoL'rON, A. I). SHAW.

